PROTESTERS have blitzed Winsford with leaflets attacking Cheshire County Council's decision to sell New Images Youth Centre to Verdin High School.

PROTESTERS have blitzed Winsford with leaflets attacking Cheshire County Council's decision to sell New Images Youth Centre to Verdin High School.

Campaigners claim youths feel 'sold out' by the decision - and say youngsters have told them they will no longer attend the centre once the school takes over.

The leaflet, which was handed out by youths and protestors outside the school itself on Friday and outside Asda on Saturday, claims the county council has failed to consult youths and regular users of the Nixon Drive centre on the sell-off.

It claims the young people have been left 'devastated' by the decision, fearing they will lose access to the snooker, art, music and drama facilities at the centre.

A spokesman for New Images Action Group, which arranged for the leaflets to be handed out, said: 'The youths really feel let down by this decision.

'They are very worried about what is going to happen at the centre and what services and youth work is actually going to be left for them.

'They are also not happy that the school is taking over the building. They are saying New Images is a fun centre - they don't want it to be like school.

'The youths are telling us they go to New Images to get away from school, and that if the school takes over they will not go back, which is the worst case scenario.'

He added: 'We are demanding public consultation, we feel that the New Images management committee has conducted its deals in private, behind closed doors.'

Verdin High School head-teacher Neil Dyment said the school had no plans to reduce the amount of youth work at New Images.

He said: 'My position and that of the governing body is that the youth work is of primary importance, without a shadow of a doubt. There is no way we would contemplate reducing the amount of youth work.

'We have been working with the county council and we wrote to New Images Action Group some time ago and indicated that when things become clearer we would be in touch with them.'

A county council spokesman added: 'The high school will be meeting remaining users with the intention of agreeing their continued use of the building. In light of this we can't really see the reason for any protest, particularly as the user groups may not have all met the high school to discuss the way forward.'